Improved machine for cutting and stamping soap



J. s. piensos or` BROOKLYN., NEW roule.

Laim Patent No. 'laundered May 19, 186e IMPHOVED MACHINE FOR CUTTING AND STAMPING tlg'e Schande maar in in tlpsr @titers hm mit making nrt nf `the ,smut l `TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: A l l Be it known that I, 17S. PIERsoN, of Brooklyn, in the 'county of Kings, and State of New.York,--have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Soap-Cutting and Stamping-Machinembf which the following is'a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanving drawing. forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure'l represents a plan of Va soap-cutting and4 stamping-machine, constructed in accordance with my improvement. l I

' Figure 2, a longitudinal sectional elevation ot the same, and

Figure'3 a transverse section thereof. Similar letters of reference indicateV corresponding parts. k

such a multiplicity of movements for cutting the slab up into bars, that the process has n'ccessarilybcen a slow,` expensive, and laborious one.' The devices previously employed for .the purpose have been a wire cutter operated by one motion, stamp by another, and tableA actuated by a pawl and ratchet, the'same in their action cutting but one bar at a time, and this not as clean or regular at the edges as is desirable. 1 i

My invention consists, firstly, in a combination ofxed knives, preferably of a sloping character, for cutting the Aslabv into short or long bars,` bythe feed or Yadjustment `of the slab-table in the machine, andfor trimming the edge of the slab, cross-knives for cutting and determining' the width ofthe bars, and stamps for stamping them,in such mann'er as, that after the table with the soap oniit has been adjusted to its place, and the slab thereby trimmed and cut according to the length of bars required, a downward movementof the stamps and cross-knives serves to complete the operation of cutting the slab into a series of bars, and stamping the latter.

Likewise, the invention includes a combination o'f fixed knives, of a sloping character, for trimming and dividing the slab into bar-lengths, and sliding slab-table, whereby the soap is prevented from rising, and from presenting a roughened appearance atthe cut.

.Also, the invention embraces such a combination of stamps and eross-knives as-thatthe stamps are made to hold on pr to bear-down on the soap lwhile the cross-knivesalre entering and receding, thereby insuringasmooth finish to the edges of the cut bars.

Referring to the accompanying drawing', A represents the stand or frame `of the machine, carrying-a bed, B, which may be provided with rails or guiding-strips, C, end-frame, D, and uprights, E Ef The end-frame D is slotted for the adjustment on and -along it of knives or cutters, F, which serve to trim the slab, and to divide yit longitudinally in accordance with the lengths of bars required, as thc slab, in the. condition itis takcnlfrom the slabber, is fed through or on to the machine by a longitudinally-sliding table, Gpprorvided with aback cross-strip or feeding-bai', a, said table, when slid to its place between the-guidc-rails C, with the soap lying on it, in front of the bar a, striking at its forward end, aspring-lever or other suitable stop, H, which determines the position of the table and its slab of soap in the machine for stampngand dividing into proper .widths of Vbars,the knives F, in or during the feed otthe' table G to its place onthe bed B, having trimmed the rough 'edge of the slab, and cut or divided it longitudinallyr in accordance with the Alength ofbar erbars required. There may beany number of. such knives or cutters F, and the same be arranged atauy suitable distance apart alongV the end-frame D,'according to the required length'of 'the bars orfnumber of v'them in aline widthwise of.

the slab. Said knives slope or are bevelled downwards in a backwardly direction at their cuttingedgqwhereby the soap, on being drawn or forced through or between them to effect its lcut, by the feed ot,l thee'table G to its place on the bed B against the stop H, is helder borne down by the knives, 4and a smooth edge or finish given to the upper surface of the cut, which would not be the case were the knives sloped in a reverse directiom or -even made perpendicular at their cutting-edge to the tables travel.

I I are the stamps, on which any desired trade-mark may be made. These stamps run indirection -of lthe width of the machine, and arearranged at a slight distance apart, forming, when united to a longitudinal beam,

In machines, as heretofore constructed, for" cutting and stamping soap, it has been customary to employ lcntly raised and sustained.

J, and cross-beams, K, or other appropriate ties, a stamp-fralne, which is supporte-d `or lifted,-say,iaway from the soap by springs, L, arranged under the ends of the-eross-beams'K, orsaid freine maybe otherwise equiva- 5 To stamp the slab or bars into which the slab is being out, it is onlynecessary to bring down the stamps on to the soap, which may be effected by a hand-lever, M, connected 'by a rod, with a second lever, N, arranged to cross and freely reston the longitudinal beam J of the stampd'rame.

PAP are vertical blades or cross-knives, formed of steel or' Ametal strips, arranged to freelyslide up and down between the stamps I I, and carried by an' independentvonter frame, R B, R R, that is held up,and raised sons to free the knives of the soap, by springs, S, arranged; under the corners of said frame, or said frame may Y 4be otherWisesuitably-lifted and sustained. These knives serve t-o divide' the longitudinally-cut club wdthwise of it and determine the-breadthof the bars. To effect the cut, they are'or may be worked down into thesoap by the treadlc T, connected, by rods c' c, with afswingi'ng frame, U U, having its fulcriim as etv d, und resting on v arched braces, e, secured to the knife-frame R R R R.

' I It is desirable thatthe swinging frame UU should be adjustable in its connection with the treadl'e T, which i may be done by nutsffg arranged to screwon the rods cle; also, that the devices for operatingthe stomp-frame should be similarly adjustable by 'c nut, g, screwing on the rod b; likewise, that the-knives-P P should bo made'V capable of being strainedor set,.as by serew-nut'svh Il, ntther opposite ends, or wrists. carrying them.

The te'bl'e G it ispreferred to make of wood, or cover with some soft material, onelse to lprovide it with I cross-cuts orI incisions,so that the knives P P, in being brought down, will fairly cut'through the soep# nls o,'to

construct it witha longitudine] incision or incisions for the knife er knives `I" tosimilarly pass through the soapfend, furthermore, it is desirable 'that the devices, which serve to work thel stamp and cross-knives frame, should be so hung er attached aste b e readily removable, in order that said frames vmay be detached and oth'ers substituted in their places when it is required' to change the width of the bers to be eut. i

From this description, it will bel-evident that a slab of soap may be simultaneously cut into 'a largo number of bars, and the same stamped, by simply feeding in the table G, then bringing-down the stamps'by depressing the lever M, and afterwards, alnd whilst lholding down the stamps, depressing the treadle T tolbring down the knives P P. This done, the foot maybe 4relieved from the treadleT, and, after the knives/P are free of the soap, by the upward shooting of theframe which carries them, lthe lever 'M isreleased; This will leave-'the stampframe free to rise by theI action of its sustaining-springs, when the spring. stoplever H may be drawn back to allow of the table of'cut and stamper-'hars being delivered at or through the back end of the machine, and'whichl may hev effected-by feeding ir. a-t the front or opposite end asucceeding table, with slab onit, for operation as before, thuskeeping up a continuous feed', as it were, with onlyvth'e necessary intermissions, which are very brief, to establish the cross-cutting and stamping ofthe slab, and which operations, including the drawing'back of the table-stop H, vmay easily be performedby u. single attendant, with-'or through his-hands and foot. I In this way are the stamping and cutting up of soap into bars expedited and improved, :1ndin such donnee- Y. tion, it may he observed thatas Ithe stamps hold down the soup while the cross-knives are b'oth entering and receding to effect `the sever-ing of it into bers, a smooth and'steady cut is secured, and the bars left with cleanor regular'edges, es also clean or regular ends, by the shape und a'ction of the cutters that divide the slab lon. gitudinally ns it is fed or adjusted within the machine. The slab, cut es described, is represented by redv lines in figs. 2 Iand 3. v i i What is here claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is.-

1. -The combination of stationary -knives F, sliding slab-table Q ?stainps I, and cross-knives?, for operation together, substantially as specified. v

2.'The cross-knives, frame, and stamp-,framg'arranged independently of eachother, in combination with devices for separately operating the same by foot and hend,'as herein. set forth, and whereby the slab indy he held by the stamps while the cross-knives are `Aentering-and receding, .essentially as described. i p v 3.' The combination of theknives F', 'made of a sloping character, as shown and described, and sliding sinh- .tahle Gr, for action in concert, as specified.

J. S. PIERSON.

Witnesses:

A. Ln CLERC,

J. W. Comms. 

